Our featured post is replacement of front and rear coil springs and shock absorbers on a 2002 Land Rover Discovery.
Our client had recently purchased this vehicle and while doing a comprehensive inspection we found 2 broken coil springs. The shock absorbers, which were the same vintage as the springs, also needed replacement .
There are several different types of suspension springs used on trucks: torsion bar, leaf and coil. Additionally, some fancier vehicles, like the Range Rover use air springs which allow height adjustments in the suspension system. The Land Rover Discovery is a more utilitarian 4 wheel drive vehicle and uses coil springs.
Shock absorbers remove the oscillations of the springs. When your vehicle hits a bump it bounces on the spring and continues to do so until the energy of the bounce is gone. It may take several up and down movement for all of the energy to be used up. The shock absorber stops the bouncing and makes the vehicle ride smoother. If you’ve ever ridden in a vehicle with completely blown shocks you will likely feel sick from the continuous and uncontrolled bouncing.
For springs we had only stock replacement units available but for shocks there were several options. After discussing the various offerings with the owner we chose to install Bilstein shocks which are original equipment on this vehicle. These are a very tough and durable shock absorber that will last for many years and be able to handle the roughest roads. While the Bilsteins are substantially more expense than most other aftermarket shocks they are very worth the additional cost.
After replacement of the springs and shocks our client’s Land Rover Discovery sat higher and sat evenly. The ride was superb and the truck was ready for any road conditions.
For more information about the Land Rover Discovery click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_Discovery
For more information on springs and shocks click here http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension.htm
